The Fire Opal
by Marinelife33
Summary: Mora is a young sestra who is blessed/ or cursed  with strange wings unlike anything ever seen before She is taken by humans and must fulfill her destiny before it it too late. Please Read and review! I would appreciate any feedback!
1. Chapter 1: Trial By Fire

Prologue

_~100 years ago~_

Moran flew along the riverbank, dodging the fireballs as the rained down from the sky. His brown hair was smoking slightly, and his face covered in ash. Hissing steam crept from the river as the fires extinguished themselves, the steam obscuring his vision. The sky had taken on a fiery coloring, as if the very fabric of the universe was burning away. Chunks of rock and metal fell alongside the fire, creating large craters where they landed.

The firestorm had started less than an hour ago, but already a large portion of the forest was ablaze. Sestras flew about in a panic, desperately trying to put out the fire. More and more volunteers poured into Chimerean, working together to protect their capital and the First Tree. They carried large buckets to the river, filling them with water before dumping them on the fires. Despite the amount of volunteers, the fires were spreading rapidly.

Moran was a warrior, and he and his mate were working on finding out why this was happening. The falling debris was hitting the forest and the river, but the city itself had yet to be hit. It was too much of a coincidence to be natural. Someone was targeting the debris, controlling it to land in places that could be easily replaced.

Suddenly a loud rumble shook the forest, not unlike thunder. But Moran knew better by now. It was the sound of something breaking the sound barrier as it entered the atmosphere of the planet. Hurtling down at hundreds of miles per hour, the largest projectile of them all soared overhead, smashing into the ground a few miles from Moran. The shockwave knocked him out of the air and into the water. He surfaced, coughing, only to face a rushing wall of fire heading straight towards him. It traveled quickly, but some of the heat and strength had left it by the time it reached Moran. He ducked underwater and prayed to the Goddess of Life, Gaia. He opened his eyes underwater and looked up to the surface. Swirling flames were above him, quickly extinguishing in the river. He surfaced when they were gone, breathing in gulps of air.

"Moran! Are you okay?"

Moran looked upwards. His mate, Onatia, was looking down at him with a worried expression. Her slightly singed golden hair framed her face, and her green eyes were darkened with fear. He flew up to join her, his wings heavy with water.

"I'm fine." He looked towards the smoking crater left from the large projectile. "That will tell us what we need to know about this."

Onatia nodded. They headed off together, their forest green swords drawn. They approached the crater slowly, descending cautiously to land on the edge of the crater.

In the middle of the crater, a large, perfectly round ball of steel was glowing red from the friction of entering the atmosphere. Smoke played off the surface of the metal, rising up to join with the haze of steam and smog that floated above them all. As they watched, the metal split open along a hidden seam, breaking the ball perfectly down the middle. Creatures climbed out, shaking their heads slowly and talking quietly to themselves. They looked similar to Sestras, but they were twice the size, and appeared to have no wings. They walked around slowly, taking in their surroundings and talking into small black boxes. Suddenly they stopped, gathered close together, and looked up in the sky. Moran and Onatia looked up as well.

Commander Xenos, leader of the Royal Sestra Army, was hovering at the head of a division of fighters. Their wings flapped in perfect unison, creating a shimmering array of different colors of blue.

"What are you doing here?" Xenos cried, flawlessly imitating the language of the strange creatures.

The creatures clustered together, each pulling out a thin metal stick. The lead creature stepped forward.

"We come in peace. We are humans. We have come to this land to settle. We are looking for new place to live, a place unsettled. Will you come down to talk?" Into his black box he whispered, "Humanoid creatures found, contact has been made. Seem to be friendly, seem to speak English." He stopped as Commander Xenos came closer. Xenos landed a few yards from the Humans.

"Leave," He said, "or you and the other…Humans… will die."

The Humans backed up and raised their sticks. Xenos signaled the fighting division to prepare themselves.

"No. We are here to stay. We will fight if we have to, but we would prefer a diplomatic solution…"

Xenos raised his sword and jumped into the air. The division of fighters dove to meet him, and then fell on the humans, their swords slashing. A clattering noise rang out, and Xenos fell, along with other Sestras. Blood seeped from circular wounds on their chests and wings. The rest of the fighters drew back, unsure of what to do. The lead human stepped forward again.

"We will give you one more chance. Go back to your city; decide on what you will do. We will meet tomorrow, whether it is in battle or in peace."

The remaining Sestras lifted off and headed home in defeat. Moran looked at Onatia. They took off together and caught up with the rest of the division, shuddering each time another metal container fell from the sky. The pattern of the falls no longer seemed random. The containers were falling in a circle, surrounding the city and the First Tree. Moran could sense from the mood of the division that they and the humans would be meeting tomorrow in war, not peace. What they had done was unforgivable.

The prophetic dream from the night before came back to him in flashes. Chimerean would be in flames, the First Tree growing sick. A battlefield would be empty except for the dead. There would be Sestras and Dragons falling in the hundreds to the humans' sticks. The Sestras of Chimerean would be leaving the city in exile.

And the most horrible image of all, Onatia and himself, shot down as they fled, with their child in Onatia's arms. The child that would give birth to the only one that could reverse the damage done by the Humans.

That same child, being picked up by Eton.

That same child, being raised believing that the humans were right.

That same child, not telling the One what she must do.

Chapter One

~Trial by Fire~

Mora was up long before the sun, brushing her sleek brown hair to perfection.

"Mom!" She yelled for the hundredth time. "What should I wear?" She asked excitedly.

"Wear white. It will go with whatever wings you get." Her mother answered tiredly.

Mora danced around the small tree house, humming cheerfully. Her brother, Ivan, came out of his room slowly and rubbed his eyes. He was still in his pajamas, and his blond hair was sticking up in clumps.

"Do we really have to go to the speech? We can sneak in late and just go to the ceremony. We never go to the speech. We've got another hour until the ceremony starts."

"But the speech is in a half an hour. Mora is getting her wings today. You can sit through one speech for your sister. She did it for you two years ago."

"Will the whole town be there?" Mora asked.

Her mom nodded. Then she looked out the window at the bright, blue-white sun.

"We better get going. It will take a while to walk there."

Mora grinned and jumped towards the trapdoor on the floor. She climbed down the ladder slowly, watching enviously as her mom and Ivan drifted down to the ground on sapphire wings. The tree they lived in was over two hundred feet tall, but compared to some of the trees in the cities, it was short. Ivan smirked at her as he floated down.

"Having fun, little sister?" He said sarcastically.

"It's a blast," Mora panted. "Soon I will never have to use this ladder again. Then I can actually go places in this town." She muttered.

"I think you should make it last. That ladder will definitely miss you once you're stumbling through the air."

"What are you talking about? I'll be a great flyer!" Mora protested. Ivan just scoffed and landed on the ground.

Mora let go of the ladder, dropping the last ten feet or so. Her mother winced as she hit the ground.

"I wish you wouldn't do that honey. You could turn an ankle or something."

"You won't have to worry anymore. Today I'll have wings to slow me down as jump off of things." Mora smiled cheekily.

Her mother shook her head and walked down the trail. Mora fell in step with Ivan, chattering happily.

"Does getting wings hurt?"

"No."

"What happens if I don't get wings?"

"You'll get your wings Mora. Unless you made Gaia mad, you'll be fine."

"But what happens if someone doesn't get their wings?"

"Mora, you know what happens. They are sent into exile."

Mora opened her mouth to spout off another question, but then another family walking down an adjoining trail stopped her. It was her friend, Lena.

"Lena! Isn't this great? We'll finally be able to fly!"

Lena nodded, her green eyes narrowed slightly. Mora could tell she was afraid. They were almost at the gathering spot now. Mora could hear the drone of many voices merging together. They came out of the trees on the top of a small hill, looking down on the assembled Sestras. Wings of blue, green, and red formed a moving, colorful sea as more and more Sestras landed in the gathering. Mora and Lena's family went on ahead, but Lena held Mora back.

"Mora, what happens if one of us doesn't get our wings?"

"My mom said we'll go into exile and—"

"No. I know what is supposed to happen. What will _we_ do if one of _us_ doesn't get our wings?" Lena sounded scared.

"If you don't get your wings Lena, I'll go into exile with you and take care of you." _That's only if I get my wings as well…_ she silently added.

"Thanks Mora." Lena smiled, reassured. "We'll never abandon each other." She said with certainty. Mora smiled, but something was tugging at the back of her mind.

"Will you do the same for me, Lena?"

Lena nodded distractedly. She led the way down the hill and towards the front row, where the rest of their class was sitting anxiously. The mayor was standing on top of the sacred rock, a huge slab of granite on the western side of the clearing. His purple suit was stretched tight over his protruding stomach. He wiped his sweating face with a dirty handkerchief before nodded to Mora. His beady eyes watched Mora with an unreadable emotion. As Mora and Lena sat down, Mora saw something huge fly overhead. It landed next to the mayor, its huge bulk spilling over the side of the rock.

_Dragon!_ Mora instantly thought.

"It's the Mayor's wyvern!" Lena said at the same moment.

_Right, it's a wyvern. Dragons are extinct. _She corrected herself mentally.

The wyvern was an unappealing grey, like the boring stones along the path of the woods. It had short, stubby legs and a long, thin tail. The tail reminded Mora of a rat she had seen along the lake shore. The spikes on its back were uneven and broken off in some places, as if they were brittle and weak. Its head was shaped like a square, with its long, yellow teeth jutting out from its mouth. The wyvern's red eyes seemed to follow Mora, as if they could see right through her.

"It's kind of ugly." Mora whispered.

Lena giggled and nodded. The wyvern looked directly at Mora. _Looks aren't everything, Mora. My name is Viola, and I would appreciate it if you would not call me and _it _if you insist upon talking about me._ The voice had been inside of Mora's head. She knew it was the wyvern. She waited for it to saying something else. _You are destined for great things, Mora. Do not let petty judgments hinder you._

"Can they talk? Wyverns, I mean?" Mora asked.

"Yea, but not many people understand them."

_ Once, everyone listened and understood. It was hard to ignore when a Dragon spoke to you. But now that they are gone, no one listens to a lonely wyvern. I am just a whisper in most minds, hardly noticeable…_ The voice was mournful. _Many think I am the beginnings of insanity…_

"That's so sad." Mora lamented out loud.

Lena looked at her strangely. The mayor stepped forward, stopping her from saying anything. He stood commandingly on the edge of the rock, but there was something almost timid about the way he clasped his hands behind his back, as if he was afraid of speaking. The Wyvern roared to get everyone's attention. The Mayor's voice was a deep monotone that vibrated across the air before reaching the gather Sestras. He spoke the same words that have been said over the years. Many could recite them back to him.

"Today, we gather to remember that fateful day 100 years ago, when the humans first came to our planet of Izrana. Many died that day, including Commander Xenos, leader of the royal army. We thank Moran and Flamewyte for leading the Army in the Battle of Fire, and for their sacrifice off the battlefield. The Battle of Fire was fought the day after the humans returned. We have never had such a bloody battle in the history of our planet." He paused and wiped his face again. Mora could not help but wonder why he was sweating so much. It was nice today, almost chilly. But the Mayor continued with his speech as if he had never stopped.

"Even the Great Tribal War seems insignificant in comparison. We are here to mourn for the lives lost on that day, but also to thank Eton, the one who lead the battered and broken remains of the Royal Army and created Eton, the town where we live today.

"The humans cut down our warriors with their guns and bombs, and took Chimerean and First Tree within a day. When they took the First Tree, the battle was over. Now we fight to stay alive in the small areas left for us. We cannot win against them; they take away our warriors and our hunters if they stray too far.

"But despite that, we live on. The humans have not won the war yet. Not until every last one of us has given up. And we will never give up!" The mayor raised his hand as the crowd cheered and yelled in agreement. The mayor half-spread his blue wings and pointed one finger to the sky. The gathered Sestras mimicked him, until everyone in the valley was saluting the lost lives of the Battle. The elderly Sestras of the group nodded to the mayor in approval.

_The mayor has already given up. His speech is just his way of going through the motions._ Viola looked at Mora sadly. The emotions spilled out of Viola's consciousness, filling Mora's mind with sadness, regret, and anger. Mora was surprised. Even if the mayor had given up on the rebellion, Viola was partnered with him. How could she hate him? _I cannot feel any love for a leader who leads his people with lies and deceit._ Viola answered disgustedly. Her voice was louder in Mora's mind as she said this. She really did not respect the mayor. Looking through Viola's eyes, Mora could see her view.

"And now we welcome those young Sestras who will continue the fight against the humans!" The mayor gestured towards Mora and the rest of her class. The audience clapped politely. Many were shifting in their seats, wanting to move and expel the restlessness brought by the speech

"Lena," the mayor called.

Lena climbed to her feet, excitement and fear shining in her eyes. She walked slowly up the stone steps toward the stage.

"Zeelo," The boy headed to the stage, standing next to Lena. The mayor read the rest of the name, finally coming to Mora's. Mora stood at the end of the line, her legs shaking with apprehension. She tugged at the hem of her shirt nervously.

"Mother Gaia, Goddess of Life, we ask you to grant these young children their wings so they can go out into the world and serve you to the best of their abilities. The mayor raised his arms above his head once more.

Mora waited. She imagined her wings appearing on her back, stunningly blue and beautiful. Mora felt a tingling sensation on her back. She trembled with excitement. She looked at the other Sestras alongside of her. The air behind them was shimmering and changing color. Varying shades of blue, red, and green began to become solid.

The outline of wings began to be visible behind them, and then all the Sestras had wings. It was sudden, like the blink of an eye. Mora felt a small tremor on her back, then a tickling sensation. It was the only sign that she had wings. There was no change it weight. Her wings weighed next to nothing. She knew she had wings, and relief came like a welcoming wave._ I hope they're blue!_ She thought. Apprehension made her fingers shake, but she couldn't look at her wings until the mayor formally welcomed her into the community. She glanced around at the other Sestras who stood on stage. Their wings were beautiful shades of the three wing colors, and the blue wings in the group made Mora especially jealous. The color was so pretty on wings. If she didn't have blue wings, she didn't know what she was going to do. The mayor was starting the ceremony.

"The community of Eton welcomes you, Lena, as a full citizen and a warrior." The mayor handed something small and green to her. The mayor moved on to the next Sestra.

_Lena's a warrior!_ Mora was filled with happiness for her friend, but she was slightly jealous. _What will I do if Lena's a warrior and I'm not?_ Mora pushed the thought to the back of her mind. The mayor was coming towards her.

"We welcome you, Mora, to the community as a, um… as a warrior." The mayor smiled guardedly and handed her something. Mora looked at it and saw that it was a delicate wristband, the band made out of simple vines woven together tightly and covered in a clear, hard solid not unlike plastic. A small, circular green stone with an intricate carving of a leaf was the only decoration on it. Mora slipped it onto her right wrist and nodded to the mayor. Inside, fear and confusion swirled together, threating to sweep her off her feet. _Why did he hesitate?_ The mayor turned to the rest of the community.

"Thank you for coming to this important part of life in town. I hope you all have a safe day and a happy afternoon." The mayor smiled and waved. It was a clear dismissal. Mora peeked over her shoulder. Cerulean blue feathers greeted her gaze, and she sighed in relief. _I'm a warrior._ She thought happily. She took a step towards Lena, but then stopped. A sun hawk was spiraling above her head. They rarely come this far north, and Mora watched it curiously. A single red feather drifted down towards her, bursting into flames a few feet above her head. She looked around. Other people had noticed the hawk, but they didn't seem that alarmed. They simply studied it for a moment before flying off. The hawk screeched once more and flew directly west.

"Mora, are you coming or not?" Lena was standing on the edge of the stage, wings posed to fly.

"Yeah, let's go." Mora stood beside her and tested out her light, feathery wings. A few of the remaining Sestras gave her uneasy glances, but Mora ignored them. She could feel the wind cushioning her wings, flowing between each individual feather. She jumped off the stage, soaring straight into the air. She flapped hard to gain some altitude, and then waited for Lena to catch up. Everything about fly was instinct, and it only took a few minutes for Mora and Lena to be soaring effortlessly through the air, only faltering when a sudden, hard air current came.

The two of them turned towards the lake, speeding up until they were racing at full speed. When they were over the placid waters, Lena slowed down.

"So why do you think your wings are like that?"

"What do you mean?" Mora asked in confusion.

"You mean you haven't noticed?" Lena paused. "Look at your reflection in the water."

Mora flew a little lower and looked. Her wings were blue… but only at the top. As she looked towards the bottom of her wings, she noticed that the blue transitioned until it was a deep, royal purple. Her first thought was of how pretty they were. Her second was of how _different_ they were.

"What's wrong with them?" Mora cried. Ivan flew up from behind her. He had followed her from the assembly just for this reason.

"There's nothing wrong with them Mora."

"I look like a freak!" She wailed.

"Everyone _loved_ your wings. I'm sure they're all at home crying because of how jealous they are." They lie was so pathetic, but Mora was too upset to care. It was even worse when Lena snorted. Ivan glared at her. "Maybe we should head home. Mom will want to talk to you."

Mora nodded and flew home, her heart heavy with disappointment, confusion, and shame.


	2. Chapter 2: Worthy of Flame

Chapter Two:

Mora walked around her small tree house, picking up the empty plates and cups left over from the party and dumping them in the sink. Her mom had insisted upon a party, even though Mora was in no mood for celebration. She sat in a chair for the entire night, gloomily accepting people's congratulations and reassurances. Mora knew the words were forced, Mora knew everyone was unsure of what to say. She saw the looks they gave her when they thought she wasn't looking. She wasn't blind.

The guests stayed only as long as they had to, leaving in hurry with mumbled excuses of being late for some mysterious meeting. Mora knew, though. They wanted to get away from her. They wanted to get away from the freak.

When everyone was gone, Mora's Mom drew Mora in for a long hug.

"It's okay, baby. They'll get over it. You're special; you always have been."

"I don't want to be special Mom. I just want to fit in." Her shoulders slumped. "I just want to be _normal._" Mora looked up at her mom with tear-filled eyes.

"Honey, you were never normal. Not from the moment you were born." Her mom said gently, avoiding Mora's tear-filled eyes.

"Just because you're my mom doesn't mean you have to try to convince me that being abnormal is good. It's not. I'm a freak." Mora sniffed.

"That's not what I meant." She paused. "I should have told you this long ago. Do you know who your grandfather was?"

"Of course I do, Mom. _Everyone _does."

"Who was he?"

"Moran, Mom. But being related to the 'hero of our planet' doesn't make me any more important than the other Sestras."

"Actually, it does. For you it does, anyway." Her mom's grey eyes were serious with a subtle hint of pride.

"What do you mean?" Mora said.

"Mora! Why don't you come to the lake with me? Change into your bathing suit and let's go. You look like you could use some fun, after today." Ivan interrupted.

"Hold on Ivan, Mom was going to tell me something."

"No honey, it's okay. Go have fun. I will talk to you when you get back." Her mom smiled, and Mora understood; Ivan was not to know. She slipped out into the night, following Ivan as he soared towards Triton Lake.

The three moons, Niota, Orienso, and Boenio, were rising from their prospective directions; Boenio from the North, Orienso from the East, and Niota from the South. The western sky was barren, a constant reminder of the air of mystery and danger that surrounded the west.

The old story was that the creatures of the west devoured the fourth moon, Reida, as she came out for the night. Sometimes, when all three moons align in the sky, Reida's spirit can be seen to pass in front of them and hides all three moons for the night, so they and the creatures of Izrana remember her. On these nights, all other good spirits are released from the prisons of the spirit world to roam the planet for one night.

"Mora, are you going to just stare at the moons all day, or are you going to come down to the lake with me?" Ivan called up from below, his sword reflecting the moonlight light a beacon.

As an answer, Mora folded her wings and plummeted downwards. She passed Ivan easily, laughing at his surprised expression. Ivan followed her, and they pulled out of their dive right before splashing into the water.

"I've always wanted to go to that island in the middle of the lake. Can we, Ivan?" Mora begged.

"It's a memorial for the dragons. Only those who are 'worthy' can go there. If you're not worthy of being there, you burst into flames and die."

"Why would we die?"

"That's how Moran protected it from the Humans."

"_Moran_ made it? But it must be a hundred years old then!"

Ivan nodded as he landed on the lake shore. Mora landed beside him, but then flew off again to land on a rock a few yards offshore. She peered into the water, watching the tiny minnows as they darted and flashed to avoid the larger fish that clumsily lunged at them. When her shadow crossed the water, all the fish scattered, but then tentatively came back out into the open water. Mora stuck her finger into the water, and the fish edged closer to it.

Then they scattered again.

"What are you looking at, Mora?" Ivan swam up to her and grabbed onto the rock.

"The fish," Mora said, annoyed.

"Did I scare them off?" He asked innocently. "Why don't you swim with them instead?" Ivan grabbed her arm and playfully dragged her into the water.

"Ivan! I don't have a swimsuit on!" Mora protested.

"Oh, well. It's too late." He laughed.

Mora sighed with exasperation and dove underwater. She opened her eyes a peered into the depths. The little fish were around her now, brushing against her hands and face. She could see the dark shapes of larger fish lurking in the deeper parts, reluctant to surface. She surfaced when her lungs cried for air.

"There's so many fish!" She laughed in delight. "They're so funny!" Mora rolled onto her back, floating peacefully.

"Don't let those fish eat you, Mora." Ivan teased.

"They wouldn't really do that would they? I think they like me." She said with a hint of uncertainty.

Ivan laughed at her hesitation and shook his head. Then he stopped and looked around in confusion.

The surface of the water began to move in small wave, forming rings that spread out across the entire lake. The willows and birch trees along the shore trembled violently, shaken by the sudden cyclone of wind. All the wildlife around the lake fell silent. The birds whistled a short, one-note warning. The chorus of frogs came to an abrupt halt, and the reeds stopped moving as the rodents and small animals froze in terror. Mora began to tread water, alarmed by the sudden silence.

Even the Darklings, the biggest, strongest animals east of the Western Mountains, fell silent and melded into the dappled shadows of the forest.

"Ivan? What's that?" She asked tensely.

"I don't know. I can't be anything good if all the animals went silent like that."

Mora nodded and sank lower into the water. The wind picked up, and a dark shape eased itself over the forest, flying low.

"It's a helicopter. I don't think they see us. They're just scouting. Don't move and maybe they'll-" A light on the bottom of the helicopter began to sweep the water.

"Ivan! You're sword! It's reflecting the moonlight on the beach!" Mora whispered.

Ivan missed a stroke and sunk underwater. He resurfaced quickly, coughing.

"Go under, Mora, and head out into the middle of the lake."

"What about you?"

"They know at least one person is here. I'm a better flyer. I'll draw them away; you run and hide. Try to make it onto the island; they won't be able to follow you there."

"I'm not leaving you Ivan."

"Go!" He hissed and shoved her underwater. But it was too late. The light focused on them just as Mora submerged. The humans knew there were two of them now. Ivan began swimming towards shore, and the helicopter followed him. There was a hiss, and all of a sudden, Ivan was enclosed in thick netting. Unable to swim, he sank down into the lake until the mechanisms in the helicopter began to lift him out of the water. He looked around desperately for Mora, and sighed in relief when he didn't see her.

The moment he was in the helicopter, he kicked out, striking a human in his chest and sending him flying across the cramped space. Ivan struggled, trying to break free, until he felt a small pinprick in the back of his neck. Then the world went black.

Mora clumsily paddled through the water, her lungs screaming for air. The fish had condensed into a thick cloud around her, blocking her vision and slowing her movements. She broke the surface a softly as she could, took a deep breath, and dove back under. On a whim, she spread her wings. They were sluggishly underwater, but she flapped them anyway. She felt a tingling sensation at the base of her feathers. In a moment, they were coated with a thick, oily substance that repelled water and made them streamlined. She flew through the water, not really heading anywhere in particular.

She surfaced, took one more breath, and looked around. She wasn't far from the island, but the helicopter was looking for her. Had they caught Ivan already? Or did he get away? Mora ducked underwater as the beam of the searchlight passed over her… and kept going. They didn't see her! Mora kept swimming, but the fish were now leading her downwards. The small minnows and sunfish were joined by larger fish; fish with teeth that shone wickedly through the gloom and bodies larger than Mora herself. She tried to avoid them, but they converged around her, forming and impenetrable wall of fish. They left her room to use her wings, not harming, but rather leading her somewhere.

Mora had no choice but to go with them. The water around her got colder as they descended deeper into the lake. Mora's ears popped painfully. Then she was enclosed in darkness. The moonlight that had shone through the surface had been cut off by something. Huge fish with meter-long teeth came out of Mora's imagination. She tensed, waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. Her wings brushed a rock, and she realized she was in a tunnel; a tunnel that was narrowing as she flew along.

Her lungs were beginning to cry for air, but she was trapped. Her wings no longer fit inside the tunnel. She folded them and swam slowly with her hands. The fish pushed her along, speeding her through the tunnel to… where? Mora didn't even know where she was going. Half-crazed from lack of oxygen, she pushed through the small fish above her head. The larger fish were behind her, using their strength to propel her along. She fought her way through, only to bump her head on the tunnel roof. _Idiot_! She cursed herself. She sank down, dazed. A few precious bubbles of air escaped, but the fish were under her now too. They were still taking her somewhere, but Mora didn't think she was going to make it. A few more seconds, and she couldn't take it anymore. Her mouth opened, and she took a huge, gulping breath of…Air.

She was at the surface! She took another breath, just to make sure she wasn't dead. The fish were below her still, and she was sitting on a platform of fins and scales as they supported her until she could head to shore. When she did, she ran her hands down the back of the largest fish, silently thanking it. She blinked in surprise when it seemed to understand. She had touched its consciousness, like she had done with the wyvern. But it had been purely accidental.

She crawled out of the water and looked around. She had emerged from a deep, perfectly circular pool into a small clearing on what could only be the Memorial Island. _Well, I'm not dead, so I must be worthy of being here. At least I'm safe from the Humans._ She thought to herself. She sat down on the soft, cushion-like grass and studied her surroundings. There was no beach separating the pool and the shore. It was as if someone had cut a perfect circle into the ground and tunneled all the way down and into the lake. The trees grew in a sheltering circle around the clearing, but didn't grow within twenty feet of the pool. A large stone was placed in front of the pool, and Mora could see words scratched on the surface. Glowing vines curled around the stone and the trees, twisting into elegant patterns but not blocking the words or strangling the trees. The vines were soft shades of green, periwinkle, and blue. Their light cast the whole clearing in a beautiful, mystical glow.

Mora moved closer to the stone to get a better look at the words. She read them quietly to herself.

"_This Pond and surrounding Island are dedicated to the lasting memory of the Dragons by Moran and Flamewyte, last of the dragons. Only blood and spirit kin may enter this sacred grove and truly see what is to be. _

_This Island will be untouched by the damage that time brings and will stand forever as a reminder that those responsible for the Dragon's downfall cannot be trusted."_

Mora looked at the words, and they slowly transformed into written English in her mind's eye. She recognized the symbols as the Dragon's language. The words swirled around her mind, forming a small rhyme that could only be a prophecy.

"_The Fire Opal hidden away/Will awaken its guardian/by the light of the 15__th__ day"_ Mora repeated it to herself. It made no sense. An opal was a stone, and it might need a guardian, if it was worth a lot, by how could it _awaken_ its guardian? Mora read it one more time to memorize it, and then she headed into the trees to hide.

She had only been in the forest for a moment before the helicopter flew slowly overhead, moving in long, sweeping arcs. As long as she stayed on the island, she was safe. The helicopter stayed for a few long, agonizing minutes before the sound of the propeller blades faded away. Mora flew to the top of a tree and looked around the lake. The far shore was had to see, by Ivan's sword was still sitting on the beach. The helicopter was nowhere to be found. Mora waited a minute anyway, in case the humans had put up the helicopter's cloaking shield.

Finally, she could wait no longer. Mora lifted herself into the air, flying close to the treetops until she was out over the lake. Then she flew down and stayed about a foot over the water. The fish that had saved her were visible as they swam beneath her. Mora landed hesitantly only the lake shore, but no gunshots rang out, no helicopters appeared, and no humans ran out from the tree line. She was safe. Mora picked up Ivan's sword and ran her fingers along it. The soft blue coloring was dim and hard to see in the darkness. She wiped a stray tear off her cheek and started home.

She was halfway to her home when the helicopter returned. Or rather, showed itself again. It had never left, only waited silently beneath its cloaking for Mora to come out of hiding. Now, halfway to the village and halfway to the lake, she had no place to hide. Except for one. Mora flew desperately towards the abandoned tree house she and Lena had found. Dimly, in the back of her mind, she realized she was supposed to have met Lena there. Lena might still be there. But there was no time to think of that now.

Mora barely paused in the doorway of the house before running up the stairs into the smallest bedroom. Broken and forgotten furniture lay scattered around the room. Mora wriggled behind a torn mattress that was propped up against the wall and waited. She controlled her breathing, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

"Mora?" A voice came from behind an overturned table.

"Lena? Is that you?" Mora whispered back.

"Yes. How could you lead them here Mora? How could you put me in danger?" Lena's voice trembled.

"What are you talking about Lena? I didn't mean to lead them here! I couldn't see them!" Mora said angrily. "They've got Ivan, and—shh! They're coming!"

Mora pressed up against the wall and slowed her breathing. Footsteps thundered through the house as the humans came closer to the room where Mora was hiding. Furniture splintered and clattered as they searched through the rooms.

When they entered Mora's room, they kicked aside lamps and chairs. Two big men grabbed the bedframe and lifted it off the ground. The humans were tall enough that they had to bend over in the room. They were strong enough to shatter the bedframe. The splinters of wood fell onto Mora as the humans grabbed her arms and pinned them to her sides. One came forward with a large hypodermic needle. The needle was pushed into Mora's neck.

As she slowly closed her eyes, she looked at Lena. "Help." She mouthed.

Lena shook her head, her eyes full of fear. Lena turned away as Mora fell unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3: Internal Flame

Chapter Three:

Mora woke up facing a blank wall. It was an ugly white-yellow that probably was meant to be white. A single window was positioned halfway up the wall, too high to reach and blocked by bars. She was lying on a bare cot with a small, hard pillow and an itchy blanket. The wall across from the window was obviously the exit. It was clear, as in Mora could see out of it, but it was easy to see that Mora wouldn't be able to get out through it. The wall crackled with energy, and Mora could pick out the low hum that came with a force field. The ceiling was blank and flat, except for a small skylight. The skylight had no force field or bars that Mora could see. She grinned. Whoever designed the cells clearly was not the smartest person. Who designs a cell for a Sestra with a hole in the ceiling?

Mora glanced outside the force field. There was a guard standing there, but he was looking down the hallways, not inside Mora's cell. Mora tried to spread her wings, judging whether or not they would fit inside the cramped space of the cell. But she didn't have to worry about that. Her wings were being blocked by her shirt. It was such an odd situation that Mora sat back down. Sestra clothes were specifically made with a special cloth. The cloth had unique properties that allow a Sestra's wings to pass _through_ the fabric. It was an easy way to get around cutting slits in all of the clothes that were made. The clothes she was wearing were obviously human clothes. It must be a mistake. There was no other explanation as to why she was wearing human clothes.

She looked at the guard outside the cell again. There was nothing wrong with asking. The worse thing that could happen would be the guard saying no. If that was the case, she would find a way to cut slits in the clothes. Either way, she was going to take advantage of the hole in the ceiling.

"Um, excuse me; these clothes aren't made for Sestras. I can't spread my wings. I'm sure that's a mistake, so could you just get me some new ones?" She said as politely as she could.

The human looked at her and laughed. He said something in reply, but Mora couldn't hear anything he was saying. The force field was soundproof. The guard could hear her, but she couldn't hear him. Or anything else that went on in the hallway. Even the harmless, obnoxious Shrieker could be outside her cell, and she wouldn't even know. She watched the guard for a few more minutes, just in case he was doing as she asked, but eventually gave up and fell on the bed with a groan.

Mora stayed like that for a while, until a buzzer sounded. Mora looked up curiously. A hole was forming in the force field, staying small and close to the ground. The guard outside slid a tray with food into the cell, and the wall closed behind it. Mora carried the tray over to the far wall and sat under the window. There was a bowl of crunchy flakes floating in milk and a loaf of stale bread. Mora ate it quickly, her hunger winning out over the disgusting taste of the meal. She shoved the tray back towards the force field, assuming it would stop when it hit it. Instead, the tray was thrown backwards into the air and fell, with a clatter, a few feet in front of Mora. The metal was scorched and blackened. The guard glared at her from outside the cell. Mora grinned. A hole appeared in the wall, and Mora slid the tray over once more. The guard took it without a word.

Mora dove at the hole in the wall as the guard was retreating, but it resealed before she made it. She was thrown backwards, much like the tray. She landed hard on the concrete floor, shaking from the electrical charge. Her vision swam, but she didn't black out. She clumsily climbed onto the cot and lay down, ignoring the itchiness of the blanket. The guard looked at her carefully, judging her condition from the shock. Mora breathed slowly, hoping he would come in to see if she was okay. She heard the force field retreating, and guessed it was opening to form a door. She rolled over slowly, as if in pain.

But it wasn't the guard that was standing in front of her. It was another human, this time in a white lab coat and black pants. He waved his hand, and the door resealed. His sandy blonde hair was combed perfectly, and his dark hazel eyes were hidden behind round glasses. He sat on the floor and smiled at Mora.

"Hello. I'm Adam. Who are you?" He spoke slowly, as if unsure of whether or not Mora could understand him. Mora didn't say anything. She glared at him from her cot. He sighed. "I know you can understand me. All faeries can. Now either you cooperate, or we could have your rations cut."

"What did you call me?" Mora said angrily. "I'm not a _faerie_." She spat. "Now either call me a Sestra, or get out." She rolled over so her back was facing him and waited.

"Okay. _Sestras_ can understand me. Now what is your name?"

"Mora," She hissed. She didn't turn around.

"Hello Mora." He said pleasantly. "I know you are not happy about being here, but you should try to make the best of it. Once we trust you some more, you'll be able to get out and about. Of course, you can't try anything like what you just did with the force field. That won't work. Doing things like that will get you nowhere." He pulled a pen out of his pocket and readied his clipboard. "Now, you're from Eton, correct? Or were you just visiting when you were picked up?"

"That was my home." Mora said softly as she turned to face Adam. Something flickered in her eyes, and Adam looked down quickly.

"Okay. You recently got your wings?"

"How do you know that?"

"The primary and secondary feathers are not worn at all. That suggests that either you don't fly often, or you are a recent fledgling." He scribbled something down on his clipboard. "What color are they?"

Mora said nothing. Her eyes took on a steel glint that should have sent Adam running. But he pressed on.

"You are an anomaly, are you not? Your wings are unique. They are blue at the top, but purple at the bottom. Do you know what that means?" He looked up from his clipboard. The way he said it hinted that he knew.

"No, and I don't care," she snapped. "If you know all this, why are you asking me? Can't you just leave?" She said rudely.

"Is this annoying to you?" Adam asked in surprise. "It's standard. It will only take a few moments. The other Faerie – erm, Sestra— that was picked up with you, Ivan, is he your brother?"

Mora jerked in surprise.

"Ivan? Is he okay?" Mora asked quickly.

"He's fine—I'll take that as a yes." He looked over his clipboard. "Well, that's about it right now. Do you want to take a tour of our facility?"

Mora looked at him questioningly. The way he said it, it was almost as if he had to.

"Or maybe later we'll do that later. Do you need anything? More space, maybe? More light?"

"Yea that would be great. So you can just let me go… and maybe Ivan too."

Adam jerked slightly, as if stung. He looked confused for a moment, and then he shook his head.

"I can't do that."

"You _can_, you just don't want to," she challenged.

"You don't get it, do you? You're not getting out of here, so you should really just give up and accept it. Would you like a tour of the facility, or not? You have to promise not to try anything."

"Fine," Mora said grudgingly. She got up and waited at the door.

Adam rose slowly and dusted off his legs. He spoke into a small handheld device and the door opened. The guard nodded to him as he led Mora out of the cell. Adam took Mora's hand. His own hand was easily twice the size of hers, completely engulfing her hand. He smelled of cleaning fluids and sweat. Humans were disgusting. She immediately shrunk away from his hand, repulsed by his touch.

"Let go of me." She growled.

"It's standard," He said with a sneering smile.

Mora made a face and started to walk forward, but Adam easily kept pace with her. He led her left down the hallway. Mora peered into each cell, looking for Ivan. Not a single face looked familiar. Mora was troubled by this. Many Sestras had disappeared from Eton. Shouldn't they be here?

"Looking for Ivan?" It wasn't a question. Adam knew she was and he was taunting her.

"Where is he?" Mora asked with a hard voice. She did nothing to hide the hatred that filled it.

"We'll get to him. It's not like he's going anywhere." Adam laughed. "He's already been around the facility. He had a little—mishap."

Mora didn't like how he said that—as if Ivan's pain and suffering was amusing. Adam droned on, describing the different doctors and scientists that worked here. Mora wasn't listening consciously. She knew that if she needed the information later, she would remember it, but had more important things to focus on. Like how close the unguarded exit was. It was only down the hall. It was a few seconds if she was flying. But she couldn't leave Ivan here. She would have to get him out.

"What's down there?" She pointed to a hallway completely empty except for a single door all the way at the end.

"That's the operating room." Adam didn't go into details, but Mora wanted him to. He quickly pulled her down another hallway that had more cells in it. Mora was beginning to get the layout of the place. The hallways were designed like squares with other hallways connecting and extending slightly past them.

The Sestras in the cells looked out at her with sad, desolate looks. Each face was hollow and hopeless. They tore at her heart until she was forced to look away. Some called out to her, telling her to run before it was too late. When they did, others just shook their heads and turned away.

"Is Ivan here?" Mora said, not wanting to look anymore.

"No, these are our patients that have already undergone the surgery. They've been here awhile."  
"What's the surgery, and why are there no guards in this hallway?"

"You'll find out about the surgery soon enough. These patients will not run away. There's nowhere for them to go; no way to get down the mountain," Adam said.

"Why—" Mora stopped herself. She was getting an idea, and she didn't like it. There was no reason to give Adam an opportunity to confirm it. They came to another intersection. Two of the hallways were full of doors, while one was blank.

"Those two have research centers and offices. This is just a connecting hallway, for convenience." He headed down the bare hallway. It was relatively short, and then they took another turn so they were returning to the hallway that contained her cell. They stopped in front of a cell.

"This is your brother's cell." Adam gestured to the cell. Ivan looked up in shock as Mora stood outside his cell. He looked tremendously sad as he regarded her. Mora turned to Adam.

"Open the door," she said, "let me go in."

"I can't do that," he laughed and shook his head.

"_Open. The. Door_." Mora spat. Mora felt a tingling sensation around her eyes, and an unbearable burning inside her chest. She felt like she was on fire. At the same time, though, it was a good burning. She felt powerful, as if the world was hers to command. She liked the feeling. If she had been looking in a mirror, she would have seen her eyes become a deep sparkling blue. Her eyes glowed softly as she glared at Adam. Adam stopped laughing and looked into her eyes. The guard behind her smirked, and waited for Adam to punish her. Adam raised his hand, and the guard watched with glee. Then Adam pointed to the guard.

"Open the door," he ordered.

The guard stared at him in shock. Adam snapped his fingers.

"Open the door," he repeated. "Don't just stand there looking ignorant!" He snapped.

The guard fumbled with a small remote at his waist to open the door. Mora looked at Adam once more.

"Let go of me." Adam did so immediately.

Mora grinned. She didn't know what was going on, but it was going to be quite useful. If she could do this all the time, and to anyone in the building, it was going to be an easy matter to escape this place with Ivan. Even if it only worked on Adam, she would think of a way to get outside. That's all she would need. The Humans wouldn't be able to follow her when she was flying. The guard opened the door and Mora walked in before Adam could come to his senses.

"Ivan!" Mora exclaimed. She rushed forward and hugged him. Behind her, the guard was speaking into a black device.

"Mora, what are you doing here?" Ivan said. "You were supposed to get away!"

"I know, and I'm sorry." She looked behind her. The dazed look was beginning to fade from Adam's face. "Look, we don't have much time. I can get us out, Ivan. I can! I can make Adam do what I want. We can go home, to Mom, and to Eton!"

Ivan pulled away.

"Mora, grow up. There's some reason why he let you in here. You're not special, no matter what Mom says. Stop living in your fantasy world. Look around! We're in the _Institute!_ Do you know what that means? Do you know what they do here?" He said harshly.

"Ivan! How could you say that?" Mora cried. Tears sprung into her eyes. "I can get us out. Why don't you believe me? Are you just going to give up?"

"What am I supposed to do? We're _experiments_ here. Do you know what they do?" He repeated.

"N—No." Mora stuttered.

"They study us, and then they—"

"Mora," A voice called her from outside the cell. "Get out of there, now," the voice ordered.

Mora obediently slipped out of the cell and looked at the man that was standing before her. He was tall, even for a human, and was wearing a black suit. His grey eyes glared at Mora, and his mouth was set into a hard line. Adam grabbed her arm and pulled her towards her own cell. He talked fast.

"I don't know what's wrong with you. Can all of you do that, or just you?" He asked. "You might be able to teach us so much more about faeries!" He paused and smiled at Mora. "We'll have to operate soon, before you manage to get out. You'll be under constant watch—with two guards now," he babbled.

Adam pulled her into her cell without stopping. Mora stepped away from him as soon as he let go. She concentrated hard, trying to pull back the burning, powerful sensation she had felt before. It took only a moment. She smiled triumphantly and looked directly into Adam's eyes. Adam saw her eyes and took a step back. But it was too late.

"Let me out of here," she ordered.

"I—I can't. The General will never allow it," he said regretfully, "you will never succeed."

"Don't tell him until I'm out."

"The General sees and hears everything. He is everywhere, in everything." He recited.

Mora was confused. Who was the General? How could he hear everything and be everywhere at once? It was almost as if he was a god. But that was impossible. No god would condone what the humans were doing. It was best to find a different way, just in case.

"Bring me a tool that can cut through anything, and that can't be destroyed very easily," she ordered.

"I will bring it tomorrow. "

"When you give it to me, you will forget you ever gave it to me," she said. Adam repeated her words. "Good," she said. "Now get out. I'm tired." Mora _was _tired. She was more tired than she could ever remember being. Whatever burning, internal power she had, it was really tiring.

Adam did as she said. He quickly left the cell and said something to the guard. The guard nodded and spoke into his black box. A second guard quickly materialized and stood on the other side of the cell. As if she charm her way through the force field. Those guards definitely knew what they were doing. Mora rolled her eyes and groaned. She ran over possible escape plans in her mind. She could use the tool Adam was bringing to cut through the bars and escape. After that, she could do the same to Ivan's bars. She would use it to cut slits in their clothes, of course. Or she could just cut slits in her clothes and fly out through the skylight. Then she would get Ivan.

Mora stretched out on the uncomfortable bed. She would do that, she assured herself. Cutting the bars away would be too noticeable anyway.

The pillow was hard under her head, and the blanket scratched against her skin. She looked longingly up at the skylight. The warm August breeze didn't want to come into her cell. The artificial air lingered inside her cell, cold and thick. Mora ignored all this. She sunk into an exhausted sleep, her dreams filled with flashes of battles and intense color and things she had never seen.

She slept into the next day, despite the light that shone through the skylight. She slept well, despite her fear and anxiety. She slept deeply, as if knowing what was coming.


	4. Chapter 4: Rekindled Hope

Chapter Four: Rekindled Hope

The next morning, Mora awoke to Adam entering her cell with a small black briefcase. He sat on the floor and watched her as she ate her meager breakfast, consisting of the same crunchy flakes in milk. He watched her as she meticulously folded her blanket on her bed. He watched her as she sat down and stared back at him. Finally, she grew tired of him.

"What do you want?" She asked, irritated. She eyed the briefcase, wondering what could possibly be concealed inside.

To answer her thoughts, he pulled his briefcase in front of him and opened it. He brushed aside some meaningless items: an empty folder, a few pens tied together with a rubber band, some pieces of paper, and a photograph of a smiling child. A small, thin grey cylinder rolled around the bottom of the suitcase. It was about the size of Mora's pinky finger, and one end looked like it was to be twisted. Adam's face twisted in confusion before going blank as he quickly passed it to her.

"Twist the bottom to the right to turn it on. A thin laser will come out. How long it is will depend on how far you twist the bottom. It won't harm anything living, except plants." His voice was a dead monotone. Mora felt it was an improvement over his regular voice. She slipped in under her pillow and turned back to Adam. She pointed to the blank sheets of paper.

"What are they for?" She asked.

"You're going to draw pictures and hang them around the cell," He said in his regular voice. He smiled and handed them to Mora, along with a pen. Then he waited. Mora stared at him, and he stared back. He nodded his head encouragingly. "Go ahead."

Mora shrugged and started to draw random pictures. They reminded her of something, but she couldn't place it. Adam watched her the entire time. Mora glanced at him occasionally. The first picture quickly became obvious. It was a huge, ugly square that could only be a human machine. It was raised off the ground on thick metal treads that smoothly drove over trees, crushing them easily. Metal razors dug into wood from the front of the machine, appearing to move faster than the eye could see. Mora recognized it.

It was the machine from her dream last night. She recalled her dream immediately, subconsciously drawing it onto multiple sheets of paper. The dream flooded her mind in short, clear flashes.

The machine was driving slowly but persistently towards a glowing, colossal tree—First Tree.

Sestras were screaming and fleeing before it, unsuccessfully attacking with bows and swords.

A huge, reptilian beast with shining claws and burning eyes chased the Sestras. Its scales gleamed black as it dove down to pick them off, flinging their broken bodies away with cruel amusement. It gushed fire as its huge, leathery wings strained to return its bulk to the air. Another beast came out from behind the clouds, its green scales gleaming in the twilight. It smashed into the first animal, two glittering comets colliding above the very heart of Izrana.

"Mora," Mora jerked her head up and looked at Adam.

"What?" She snapped.

"What are you drawing?"

Mora looked down. She was on her third piece of paper. The first showed a clear image of the human machine, the razor blades frozen in action. It was black and white, but it seemed as if the colors of the picture were hiding behind the ink, entering Mora's mind and filling the picture with color.

The second drawing was of First Tree, but it wasn't a sick, dying tree as it was now. The picture showed a vibrant, majestic tree that teemed with life. It showed First Tree as it used to be, with the thriving city of Chirmerean next to it. Just looking at the picture filled Mora with a sense of nostalgic regret and longing. Again, the color of the picture seemed to be hidden inside the black lines, perceptible only in Mora's mind.

The final picture was of two dragons locked in combat, each snapping at the other's throat. Their eyes burned like coals, so full of intelligence and emotion. Hatred and vengeance shone in the larger one's eyes, but the smaller one looked regretful. Blood poured down their claws and across their scales. The smaller dragon breathed a cloud of brilliant fire that split along the other's scales, doing little damage but causing the two to glow in a halo of flames. In her mind, the larger dragon was black, while the smaller was a shimmering green-blue. She knew instinctively these colors were not imagined. The fire was a blinding mixture of reds, yellows and oranges that swirled and changed even as the rest of the picture stayed still.

Both animals were beautiful in a dangerous, lethal way. Adam was looking back and forth between the machines and the dragons. His eyes were full of fear, not wonder. Mora could tell that he could not see the colors. Before Mora could react, he had gathered all three pictures up and locked them in his briefcase.

"The General will want to see this. I don't know how you have seen these, but this is a problem."

Adam rushed from the cell, scurrying down the hallway towards the offices. Mora couldn't help but notice how much he resembled a rat. Mora watched him go with smoldering anger. She wanted her pictures back. She could feel their importance. Not the pictures themselves, but the images they portrayed. She had never seen the machine, nor the dragons.

Mora sighed and pulled out the metal tool Adam had given her. True to what she said, he had forgotten about it immediately. She turned it over in her hand. It was a small cylinder, small enough to be concealed in the small cargo pockets in the human clothes. She pressed the button on the end of the tool, and a glowing beam of light materialized from one end. She fiddled with the rotating bottom, growing accustomed to how far it had to be turned to get different size settings of the thin laser beam. She sliced through the corner of her bed post to be sure it worked. The metal piece fell to the floor with a clang. Satisfied that the tool worked, she turned it off and stowed it in her pocket. She swept the metal piece under the thin pillow and banged the bed against the wall a few times to cover up the noise the falling piece had made. The guard shook his head at her and pointed to the bed. Mora smiled and stopped. The guard slid a tray through the force field with a suspicious look. Mora took the food and examined it. It was a few pieces of fruit along with a piece of bread. A butter knife was on the side of the tray, but it was too dull to be used as a weapon. She ate the food quickly, and then checked to make sure the guard wasn't looking.

She pulled out the tool and began cutting the tray into sharp metal splinters. These she hid in her pocket along with the tool. She figured she was going to need quite a few weapons to get herself and Ivan out alive. The knife was sharp enough to cut her fabric, though, so she cut two rough slits in the back of her shirt to let her wings out. Then she threw the remainder of the tray and the knife out the window. The tray hit the bars as it flew out, causing the guard to look inside. He opened the door with a confused look.

"What did you do with your tray?" He demanded.

"It's out the window," She said insolently. She pointed to the barred windows. The guard glared at her at searched around the cell. He lifted up the pillow and the blanket, overturned the mattress, and searched under the bed. Once he was certain the tray was not hidden somewhere inside the cell, he turned back to Mora.

"You are not to do that again, do you understand?" He said angrily.

Mora stared at him passively until his face turned red. He began yelling and gesturing wildly, but Mora tuned him out and thought about her dream. The green-blue dragon kept coming into her thoughts. She felt a connection to the dragon. Not physically, but emotionally. The dragon had battled the larger one fearlessly, even if the chances of its victory were slim. Mora realized she had to be like the dragon. The humans were bigger, they were stronger, and they were in their home territory. She was going to have to be brave and outsmart them.

The guard scoffed in exasperation and left the cell. The door closed and Mora saw him talking to his companion, who must have shown up while the first was yelling at her. Then the tow of them faced forward and ignored Mora. Mora took a deep breath and silently spread her wings. She jumped into the air and used her momentum to soar straight up closing her wings for a moment to fit through the small skylight. She took a deep breath and flew left, in the direction of Ivan's cell. She counted the number of skylights, recalling that Ivan's cell was eleven cells away. She landed on the roof next to the skylight and looked down.

"Ivan," She called softly.

Ivan appeared below her, his face a mask of astonishment. A flicker of hope burned in his eyes as he looked up at Mora.

"I'm going to drop a tool down to you. Catch it and twist the bottom. A small beam will come out. Use it to cut slits for your wings and then fly up!" She hissed.

Ivan nodded slowly and held out his hand. Mora dropped the small metal tool and crossed her fingers. Ivan caught it and twisted the bottom. He cut slits in his clothes quickly and tossed the tool back up to Mora, who reached down and grabbed it before it fell back. She spun around and gasped. A Sestra was standing behind her. The Sestra had auburn hair that was held back with a simple woven piece of cloth. Her green eyes were bright and intense and she motioned for Mora to be silent.

"Go back to your cell. We have a plan to get you out, but we need something that is inside. Return to your cell and wait for us to break you out. Do you understand?" She whispered urgently.

"No. No, I don't understand. Why can't we just go now? What do you need?" Mora whispered back.

"We need the drawings that you made Mora. It is vital that we have those."

"The drawings? Why? Wait a minute… How do you know about those? Have you been watching me?"  
"We have been watching you, Mora. We know what you are. Trust us. It will all turn out all right." Her voice took on multiple layers, as if many people were whispering at once. Her eyes glowed softly.

Mora glared at her, unfazed. "You want something besides the drawings. They're pieces of paper; what do they mean to you? If you really wanted only them, you'd help me escape and then I'd re-draw them for you. What do you really want? Who is 'we', and what do you mean 'what I am'?"

"What we want is not for you to know. All your questions will be answered in due time. You are correct; but still try to bring the drawings. They are important; just not exactly what we want. You have to return. Escaping now is not an option. We will come for you tomorrow at noon."

"Fine. I'll go back," Mora snapped. "I must be insane." She muttered to herself. But she had decided to trust the strange Sestra. She had the same abilities as her. Mora was sure of it. This Sestra could teach her how to use her powers, and tell her why she had them. "You better be telling the truth," Mora said before dropping into her cell. The Sestra waved a hand in Mora's direction. She was speaking quietly to Ivan, telling him to wait.

Adam was waiting for her as she landed, a hypodermic needle clutched in his hand.

"I did warn you Mora. There's an alarm fixed to that skylight; a helicopter was waiting for you to leave. You made the right decision, coming back here," he said before plunging the needle into her arm. Mora fell into a drugged sleep, but the tool was still safe in her pocket, along with her homemade weapons. She still had a chance. The hope that burned inside her was no longer a forlorn spark; it was a raging wildfire.


	5. Chapter 5: Under Fire

Chapter Five:

The room around Mora came into focus slowly, little bits at a time. A computer monitor took up most of the far wall. A control panel was situated below it, with someone sitting and typing. The door was behind her, blocked by two guards. The adjacent walls were covered in charts and diagrams of brains; some human, some Sestrian. They showed various sections in detail, with small printed words labeling and explaining each part. A large, bulky machine was next to her bed, hooked up to a monitor of some sort.

Mora was lying on a metal table, her wrists and ankles secured by electronic cuffs to the table. Her head was throbbing, as if someone was hammering against her skull. She made a small sound, like a gasp. The man sitting at the computer turned and smiled. His glasses looked too big for his small, pointed face.

"Oh, good; you're awake," He said cheerfully. "The General will be in shortly. I'm sorry for the delay."  
"What are you delaying?" Mora said groggily.

The man smiled. "I shouldn't spoil the surprise. The General will explain when he gets here."

"What surprise?" Mora pressed.

"Did you not just hear me? I'm not going to tell," the man laughed. "I'm Will, by the way. Dr. Will Brookes."

"Is this where you do the Surgery?" Mora asked curiously.

"Goodness, no. This is just an examination room," he explained.

Mora frowned. This man was too nice. He reminded Mora of a fairytale, the kind of story her mother used to read to her before bed. The man reminded her of the mean witches who pretended to be nice before eating the little children. "Are you going to eat me?" She said, her words slurring together a little.

The man looked at her. "No. I think you have had a little too much sleeping drugs. No matter; It won't interfere with the lobotomy scan. Oops, I gave away the surprise, didn't I?" The man laughed. The laugh sounded eerily like a giggle. He _definitely_ reminded Mora of an evil witch.

"lobotomy. What does that mean?" She wondered out loud.

"A lobotomy is when you cut into a lobe of the body, such as the brain or the lungs," Dr. Brookes clarified cheerfully.

Mora paled. "Oh, how… pleasant," she replied.

Dr. Brookes laughed his strange, giggling laugh. "Don't worry; we won't be doing that. It's a scan; not a surgery."

"I thought it was my job to explain what would be going on. You never could keep a secret, Will."

"I guess the cat's out of the bag. I didn't explain all the details, though," He said apologetically.

"What cat?" Mora said without thinking.

"It's an expression," the man said as he crossed the room. "Meaning he ruined the secret. Now, were just going to look at your memories, okay?" He said flatly. It was obvious he didn't care if it bothered Mora.

"Why?" Mora asked.

"We need to know how you know about the things you drew. Where is the second dragon from? The smaller one, I mean. How do you know about the machine?"

"You're only curious about the smaller one? Where's the larger one from? Do you know?"

"Of course I know—" He stopped himself and said slowly, "Of course I know that all dragons are extinct. I'm curious about both."

"I only saw them in a dream. I don't know what they are," Mora assured him suspiciously. She wondered they were so important.

"See, we can't trust your judgment. You could just be lying to protect where you learned the information. We need to find that source and eliminate it. We don't want a rebellion, do we?"

"Don't we?" Mora retorted. "I think it would be great to get rid of all of you. You're like pests; all you bring is trouble."

The general smiled. "I'm sure that's not really how you feel."

"No it is," Mora shot back. Her confidence seemed to put the general off for a second.

"Okay. Enough mindless talk, it isn't getting us anywhere," he declared as he turned to the doctor. "Dr. Brookes, explain how this works to our friend here."

Dr. Brookes pushed his glasses back into place. "This machine will scan your mind and project your thoughts onto this monitor. By showing you different items, we can influence your train of thought."

"Good explanation. Now turn it on," The general said.

Dr. Brookes attached a silver wire to Mora's forehead and returned to the controls. He pressed a few buttons and flipped a switch. The machine next to Mora started to hum, and the monitor flared to life. Mora was looking at blank screen.

"Well, I guess my secret's out. My mind is blank. Empty. Devoid of all thought. Except fish. I simply _adore_ fish. Don't you?" Mora asked, keeping her voice neutral and her face passive. The monitor flashed a brief image of a colorful fish swimming in circles. Mora nodded sarcastically. "That is a beautiful fish," She said. She successfully suppressed a grin. The general's face was beginning to redden.

"Enough. Will, show her the pictures," he snapped.

Dr. Brookes pulled out Mora's drawings. He first showed her the picture of the human machine. Mora carefully kept her thoughts away from the human machine. She focused completely on the word _ugly_, until it appeared on the monitor. The general's face flushed even redder.

"You know I'm right; that is the ugliest thing on this planet. It even surpasses you, Mr. General," Mora said cheekily.

"The dragons," the general snapped. Dr. Brookes hurried to comply.

Mora focused on projecting the image of a small tree lizard with wings.

"Okay, enough," the general growled. "If you aren't willing to give us the information, we will take it. I must say, I am impressed with your resistance skills."

"It's not resistance; I have nothing to hide," Moa said honestly.

The general narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure about that. I'm sorry if you end up as a vegetable."

Mora contemplated this as he adjusted the settings on a laser tool hanging from the ceiling. She carefully thought about a cucumber.

"I don't mind being a veggie; especially cucumbers. They're amazing. Who doesn't love cucumbers?" Mora asked, her voice dripping with irony.

"I'm allergic to cucumbers," Dr. Brookes said cheerfully.

Mora couldn't help but think about what an idiot he was. Her thoughts must have been visible on the monitor, because Dr. Brookes looked insulted.

"Sorry, Dr. Brookes; I guess there are reasons why thoughts are meant to be private," She said pleasantly.

The laser shot a thin beam into the table near Mora's head. She jumped and shied away. The general laughed and held her head down as she aimed the laser.

"Turn it on, Dr. Brookes," He ordered.

Dr. Brookes spun in his chair and hit a key on the control panel. A blaring siren rang throughout the compound. The general shouted at him, but he shrugged.

"I didn't do that; that's the intruder alarm," He shouted back.

The general slammed his fist down on the table in frustration. Crashes and screams emitted from the hallway, gradually getting louder. The general ordered Dr. Brookes out into the hallway, but he was shoved back inside immediately. Whoever it was, they were already outside the door. Through the open door, Mora could see nothing. The hallway lights had been smashed out, plunging the compound into darkness. Vague shapes moved beyond the door frame. Something small hissed into the room. It struck Dr. Brookes in his shoulder, sending a spurt of blood into the air. He spun around and slammed into the control panel. His flailing arms hit the emergency release button, and Mora's restraints clicked open. Mora jabbed her elbow into the general, who released her head.

She rolled off the table, ducking down to whatever the intruders were shooting. The general jumped on the table and glared at Mora. She dove out of the way as he lunged at her. Mora ripped the silver wires off her forehead before spinning around to kick the general in the back of his knee. The knee buckled, and he tripped into the edge of a desk, banging his face into the corner. He rose and faced Mora, blood spilling down his face.

The intruders silently entered the room behind him, motioning for Mora to be silent. Mora was shocked to see that they were Sestras. They stood in between Mora and the general, pointing loaded bows at him. The Sestra from the roof took Mora's hand. Her sword was pink, with fresh blood running down the tip.

"Come with us, Mora; you'll be safe." Her voice floated to Mora in a daze. She let the Sestra lead her away. "I'm Angie, by the way. You can trust me." She started to lead Mora towards the exit. Mora grabbed her drawings and shoved them into her pocket before ducking out the doorway. Angie pulled her down the hall towards the door.

"Wait!" Mora stopped. "I have to go back! Ivan's still there!" She tore her hand away and raced down the hallway. The guards had abandoned their post to fight the intruders.

Mora skidded to a stop in front of Ivan's cell, banging on the energy wall. Ivan looked up and started. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. _Of course_, Mora thought. _Why would they leave it unlocked?_ She slammed her fist into the wall. She sat on the ground in defeat. The metal shards in her pocket jabbed into her leg. She angrily pulled them out of her pocket, throwing them against the wall in a fit of rage. She was about to throw the tool as well, but then she had an idea.

She turned on the tool, twisting the bottom until it was on full power. She crossed the hallway and stabbed it into the force field. Bright cracks of energy spider webbed out from the tool, sending sparks cascading over Mora. She was thrown backwards into the far wall as the force field shattered, illuminating the hallway in a blinding flash of pure energy.

Mora's head cracked against the wall. Her vision flicked and dimmed for a moment. When she looked up, Ivan was standing over her in concern.

"Mora? Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm okay," she said, shaking her head to clear it. "We have to get out before they find us." Mora wasn't sure who she meant by 'they'—the humans or the Sestras.

Ivan grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. She shoved the cutting tool into her pocket. It wasn't on anymore, but she put it in her pocket in case it still worked.

"Then let's go; the exit's this way." He pulled her down the hallway. Mora covered her ears, blocking out the begging and crying Sestras in the cells that they ran past. She couldn't help them all without getting caught themselves.

They almost crashed into Angie and another Sestra who were running down the hall, looking for her. Angie caught Mora and kept her from falling, but the other Sestra was too slow. Ivan slammed into her, sending both of them to the ground. Angie hissed in frustration.

"Mila! Get off the ground, now. We have to move!" She snapped.

Mila shoved Ivan off and scrambled to her feet, muttering an apology. Ivan stood up as well, but didn't apologize. Angie dragged Mora down the hallway, not bother to wait for Mila and Ivan. Mora stumbled along behind her, calling for her to slow down. Angie ignored her until they had burst through the double doors of the exit and out into the cold air. Mist swirled around them, shrouding any landmarks to distinguish their location. Mora blinked in the harsh sunlight.

She looked up at the blue-white sun with a smile. It was a relief to see the sun instead of the harsh artificial lights of the human compound. The sunlight was natural and beautiful. A Sestra's home was lit with sunstones. They were not actual stones. They were made out of a special mineral found deep underground bounded with tree sap. The mixture was shaped into a ball and left in the sun. The sunlight was absorbed by the sunstone, charging it with light. After a few days, the sunstone had enough light to last for years. They could be turned on or off with a simple touch.

"Mora, why are you staring at the sun?" Ivan asked, coming up behind her.

"I didn't think I'd ever see it again. It's wonderful, isn't it?" Mora blinked and looked away, becoming aware of her burning eyes. Ivan smiled in understanding and touched her shoulder. He pointed at Angie, who was organizing a group of twenty five Sestras.

"I don't like her much. Do you think we could sneak off and find our way home?" He whispered.

"We can't do that, Ivan. They risked so much to get us out. We can't just leave them," She said disapprovingly.

"Why do you think they broke us out? They obviously want something from us, and I don't really want to find out what it is. I don't think this is a good idea. Come on, we're leaving." He tugged her arm, but Mora wretched her arm away.

"Why do you always do this? You didn't _think_ I could control Adam, you didn't _think_ I could break us out, and you don't _think_ it's a good idea to trust the people who just save us!" She hissed, her voice rising.

"I'd rather have my wings cut off then go with them," he said. "That's what the surgery was back there, by the way. They cut off our wings. We'd be safer back there then with these Sestras."

"I can't believe you're arguing about this!" Mora snapped. "Fine. You try to find your way home. I'm going with them." She walked stubbornly towards Angie, who turned and spoke softly to her. Ivan hesitated for a moment before joining her. She pulled a muscular Sestra with dark eyes and a scarred face forward.

"This is André, the other leader along with me and Rafael." Angie pointed vaguely towards an old Sestra among the group. "Stay with him; he'll get you to safety." Angie whispered something to André. He smiled and kissed her softly. Angie smiled and walked away, issuing orders to the rest of the gathered Sestras.

André turned to them. "The alarm sounded, which means we're not going to be alone in the air for very long. Stick close to me; there's going to be gunfire and planes. The human's don't take an attack very lightly. Especially not from us," he added quietly.

As if to answer his words, a jet flew overhead, its engines scattering the mist for a few moments. With the mist gone, Mora saw for the first time where they were. She was standing a few feet from the edge of a mountain. Mountainous peaks rose in all directions around them, enclosing them in a natural, rocky fence. The compound had been built into the side of a mountain. The cells were on the outside, with the offices inside the mountain. The mountain itself continued beyond the compound, reaching up into the sky beyond the clouds.

Angie reacted instantaneously after the plane. She dove of the edge of the mountain, and the other Sestras followed suit. André pulled her and Ivan towards the edge of the mountain.

"Do these clothes have slits for your wings?" He asked quickly. Mora nodded nervously. André looked relieved.

A second plane flew overhead, and a helicopter rose into view on the far side of the mountain. A cable sprung to life beside them, attached to the tip of the mountain. A cable car rose steadily from the ground, no doubt bringing reinforcements. The last of the Sestras in front had dived off the mountain. It was their turn. André led them over the side, and they dove straight down, not even spreading their wings. The Sestras ahead were still diving, heading directly to the ground. They began to level out about halfway down the mountain.

Mora spread her wings and tried to level out as well. G-forces threatened to pull her earthward, crushing her lungs and making it hard to breath. The G-forces lessened, and Mora was flying directly behind André, heading away from the mountain. The two planes circled around, firing down a hail of bullets. AA guns fired upwards from the ground, knocking Sestras out of the air with startling precision.

The helicopter came in from the side, trapping them between a mountain and three walls of guns. Lead pellets whizzed through the air, some getting close enough to stir Mora's hair. The order came for evasive action, and André started to duck and weave in an unpredictable pattern. Mora mirrored his movements, dipping in the air and weaving from side to side. André pulled her and Ivan down behind a rocky outcropping to catch their breath.

Mora's breathing was still ragged, but she nodded reluctantly when André signaled to keep moving. They emerged slowly from behind the rocks, flying quickly and hugging the side of the mountain. The rest of the group was sheltering in a shallow indentation in the mountainside. Angie relaxed visibly when she saw the three of them. Mora figured she was happy to see André, who was without a doubt her mate.

"André, Mora… I thought we had lost you." –Mora noted she made no mention of Ivan– "We have to make an escape plan." She turned back to the rest of the group. "We will fly close to the mountain until we come to the far side. Then we will fly north, loop around, and then head home. Does everyone understand?"

Everyone nodded, and Angie smiled.

"Good; on the count of three, we fly. One, two–" A loud roaring interrupted her. A huge machine flew overhead, a mix of a helicopter and a plane. It hovered over their location, its jet engines drowning out Angie's orders. Its rotor blades stirred up a whirlwind of dust and debris that got in Mora's eyes and clouded her vision. André pulled on her wrist and led her into the air.

A hail of bullets rained down on them, piercing wings and felling Sestras. Mora zigzagged alongside André, dodging bullets and trying her hardest not to lose André. A gun roared to life on the side of the mountain, firing at Mora at point blank range. She desperately swerved, but it was too late.

The bullet pierced her left wing, going clear through her flesh. Pain radiated from her wing to the rest of her body and for a moment, she forgot to flap her wings. She plummeted, watching the ground grow closer through half-closed eyes. André caught her and carried her away from the guns, heading North behind the shattered remains of the attack force.

Semi-conscious, with her wing crushed painfully between her and André. She was looking backwards, at Angie and Rafael, who were flying rearguard. Rafael's grey beard was streaming behind him. He was yelling at Angie about something. Mora couldn't hear him. But Angie was angry. Her green eyes flashed, and she dove at the Sestra. He didn't see her until it was too late. Her pink sword flashed, and she stabbed Rafael in the back. He fell. Mora was confused. The pink meant that she should be kind, not kill someone for yelling at her.

Angie looked forward at Mora. He eyes were alarmed at first, but then she relaxed. The green in her eyes intensified, and Mora found herself entranced by them. Angie said something that was lost in the wind.

Then Mora blacked out.


	6. Chapter 6: A new glow

Chapter Six:

Mora's dreams were foggy and unclear. She could see bits and pieces of her dream, but the fog would cover them before long. Thunder rumbled in her dream. She could feel a slight, insistent tug that told her to go west. Nothing was west except for the Western Mountains. Nobody in their right minds past those mountains. But still, she could feel something calling her, telling her to do something. If only she could understand it.

Mora… It called.

Mora… It was growing more insistent now.

MORA!

Mora's eyes cracked open. The shout wasn't part of her dream. Some inconsiderate Sestra was standing at the edge of her bed, shouting her name. Her eyes felt red and raw from sleeping too long. Her mouth was dry and uncomfortable.

"What?" She snapped.

"You have to get up. Well, you don't have to, but I didn't want to wait for you to wake up on your own. I have a life of my own, you know, and it doesn't involve taking care of some stranger," The boy was about sixteen. He stood in front of Mora, annoyance obvious in his stance. His brown hair hung in front of his brown eyes. He was ordinary in appearance. There was nothing that stood out about him.

"Can I have some water?" She asked. She had to show him that she wasn't bothered by his rudeness.

"Sure." He tossed her a water bottle from a table below the window.

As Mora took a drink, she looked around for the first time. She was lying in a comfortable bed inside of a small but cozy tree house. A single widow overlooked a cheerful valley and a distant lake. She could see Sestras moving around, flying in all directions. She noted with interest that most of the Sestras had blue wings.

A small table was below the window. A large tray with fruits, nuts and some bread sat on top. Mora assumed that was to be her breakfast. She turned back to the boy.

"So who are you?" Mora asked.

"I'm Damon. I'm supposed to help you until you know your way around," He answered. He didn't sound very happy about it.

"Where are we?" Mora asked.

"We're in the Valley. Don't ask where it is—you can't know anyway. It's called the Valley so no one will be able to find it without directions."

"What happens when someone flies over and sees it?"  
Damon shrugged. "They can't leave," he said simply.

"What? Does that mean I can't leave, either?" She said, her voice rising.

He shrugged again. "In theory, yes," he said calmly.

"You should be thankful that you're even here. Not many people are allowed to be here. You're lucky."

"I feel honored," She snapped. "Can I eat my breakfast now? I really don't want to hear about your amazing home."

Damon scowled and pointed to the table. "Go ahead, eat," He said, and stormed out of the tree house. Mora half-slid, half-fell out of bed and managed to stumble across the room and sit down at the small table. None of the fruits or nuts was familiar, but some resembled the type they had in Eton. She rolled a berry between her fingers, inspecting the skin carefully. Then she popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly. It was good, and soon Mora was eating all of the fruits, familiar or not.

She looked outside the window, watching as Sestras practiced sword fighting in a clearing some distance away. They fought on the ground, in the air, and with various other weapons and shields. Mora noted that it was not only warriors who fought. Red wings and green wings, though not many, flapped alongside the blue. They used spears and knives, but no swords. Even here, only warriors received swords.

She shifted her focus to the lake in the distance. It was vast, far bigger than Lake Triton back home. No island rested in the middle of the lake. Small boats were out on the lake. Mora assumed they were fishing. She looked down out of the window, watching children as they played around the trees. They stood on top of the twisted roots, shrieking and laughing. Mora smiled as she watched them. They seemed to be playing some kind of 'King of the Hill' game. Mora smiled at their antics.

"Cute, aren't they?" A voice said behind her.

Mora jumped violently, slamming her knee into the table leg. Something about the underlying tones of the voice set her on edge and made her hair stand up. She spun around, ignoring the wave of dizziness that came with the sudden motion. She was ready to fight, but she relaxed almost immediately.

Angie was standing behind her, a slight smile on her lips. Mora laughed at her jumpiness.

"Angie! You surprised me! But yes, they're adorable. Can they really just play out in the open like that? Aren't you worried that the humans will come and abduct them?"

Angie smiled endearingly. "No. They humans don't come here, so we don't have to worry," she said.

"That must be nice." Mora thought about her childhood in Eton, spent playing in a small, crowed meadow because it wasn't safe to play by yourself, or to go anywhere without a warrior, or at least many other people.

"Yes, it is. Mora, do you remember anything from the escape yesterday?" She asked casually.

"I remember most of it, why?" Mora asked curiously. Mora was surprised to see a flicker of fear in Angie's eyes.

"What do you remember, after the plane came?"

"I got hit in my wing… and André had to carry me. Then I blacked out. Why? Why does it matter?" Mora asked, confused.

"It doesn't, really. I just wanted to make sure you didn't know where the Valley was located. We haven't decided if you should be given the knowledge yet. Ivan was blindfolded a short while after you blacked out." She smiled hesitantly.

Mora was still suspicious, but her head was beginning to hurt, so she dropped it.

"So how was Damon? He wasn't too unwelcoming, was he?"

"Oh, um, yes. He didn't seem to like me very much."

Angie shrugged. "That's Damon. He doesn't take well to outsiders. Or anyone, for that matter."

Mora laughed and looked out at the combat fields. Learning how to fight with a sword was something that she should be doing at home, not at a strange valley someplace on Izrana. But it was better than no training at all.

"Will I be allowed to train soon?"

"Of course. Ivan is already training with some of the beginners. I guess Eton didn't go that far in depth about battle training. If you fell up to it, you could start as soon as tomorrow."

Mora nodded. "Maybe I'll do that," she said. But then she sighed. "I can't. I didn't get a sword from Eton before the humans came."

Angie just laughed. "Don't worry about that; Ivan had to get a replacement sword as well. We can get you one as well. Tonight, even," she promised.

Mora smiled nervously. "Thanks. Will we have a ceremony and everything?" She asked tentatively.

"No, it will only be a few people there. Is that okay with you?" She waited for Mora to nod, and then said, "I have to go. Damon will bring you to the smith when it is time. He'll make the sword on site for you." She got up and walked away, only to pause at the door. "This place could really use you, Mora." Then she walked out.

Mora stared after her, trying to figure out what she had meant by that. Mora realized she had no idea what had happened when she had been unconscious. She tried to think about the Escape, but her mind was fuddled and confused. She'd get Damon to take her to the lake when he returned. Being near water usually helped her think.

She left the small tree house and sat on the thin ledge that bordered the house. She sat on the edge, her feet dangling into space. It didn't take long before Damon returned, looking annoyed as he landed on a branch a few feet away.

"I want to go to the lake," Mora stated.

"Okay. What do you want me to do about it?" He said snidely.

"Take me to the lake," Mora said slowly.

"I don't know if I want to." He yawned. "I'm pretty tired."

"What's your problem?" Mora snapped

"You're my problem. I don't want to have to follow around some softie from Eton. You don't belong here. You and your brother aren't worth the lives it took to rescue you."

"Well, why are you following me around then?"

"I fell asleep on guard duty. This is my punishment," He mumbled

"Maybe you shouldn't do that next time," Mora suggested.

Damon turned and pushed her against the tree house. "Look," he hissed. "You won't be here long anyway. But while you're here, I don't need your advice. You're better off just doing as you're told and not questioning it." His eyes grew dark. "Trust me," he said.

"Just take me to the lake, and do it without the attitude," Mora snapped. She was tired of him threatening her. She felt strangely familiar heat surge through her. "You need an attitude adjustment, buddy." She snapped.

Damon looked like Mora had slapped him. Something changed in his eyes, as if her words actually meant something to him. Then he nodded tensely.

"Okay. Let's go to the lake, then," He said. His voice was almost pleasant.

Mora flew up to him, barely caring at the sudden change. They flew towards the lake, Damon in the lead. Mora gradually realized her left wing was throbbing. A bandaged wrapped around her wing, pinning down a few primaries and secondary feathers. It made flying difficult and required more flapping, which made her wing hurt even more. She bit her lip and continued flying. She couldn't show weakness on the first day she was here.

But three-quarters of the way to the lake, she began to lose height, and the pain became unbearable.

"Damon, can we walk the rest of the way? My wing is bothering me," she called.

"Okay. It's not too far," he replied.

They landed and began to walk quickly towards the lake. Mora thought about what Damon had said. What was so bad about questioning things?

"Damon," Mora began, "what's so bad about questioning things? What did you mean, before, when you said it would be better to just do as they say? Who's 'they'?"

"I didn't say anything like that," he said softly. His eyes flashed warningly.

Other Sestras began to take an interest in their conversation, and Mora took the hint. She shut her mouth and met the stares of the surrounding Sestras confidently, as if she had done nothing wrong. Damon just put his head down and started to walk faster. He didn't say anything more to Mora until they were standing on the lake shore, at least a hundred feet away from the nearest Sestra.

"You have to be careful about what you say around the people here. They're not your friends." He threw a rock into the lake, watching it skip a few times before sinking in a rush of small bubbles.

"So what's with you, Damon? You're supposedly hate outsiders, but I'm guessing you don't get along with everyone here. You say you don't want to have to follow me around, but you keep warning me, telling me how to act around people. Why?"

Damon didn't say anything at first. "I thought I could help make it different for you," he said finally. Mora looked at him questioningly, but he wasn't finished. "I came here when I was young, from Birchtown. My parents moved a few years before the humans took over. I didn't know. I thought I had been born here, until one of the other kids told me. After we got our wings, my friends stopped hanging out with me. Around that same time, one of the Valley's leaders had disappeared, and everyone blamed my mom and dad—who had become leaders as well—for his disappearance. My mom was hanged for it, and everyone eventually let it go. But the parents' of my friends still wouldn't let them talk to me. I became an outcast. I figured I'd try to keep you from being one too."

"It's not your fault, is it? If your mom did it, why do you get shunned? Why don't you call them out on it?"

"I can't let them think I need them," Damon said angrily.

"But you do need them, don't you?" Mora asked softly.

"No! And even if I did, I couldn't tell them that!"

"You're afraid of what they'll think of you, even after what they did."

Damon glared at her. "What do you care, anyway? Maybe you should worry about fitting in here." He looked up at the sun for a moment. "We should head to the blacksmith. It'll take a while to get there if we're going to walk."

"I can fly until my wing starts to hurt again," Mora said sharply.

Damon just nodded to her and took off. Mora followed him into the air, ignoring her throbbing wing. She was going to fit in here. She wasn't going to show weaknesses. But she was going to do things her way. Even if that meant _questioning_ the people who were in charge.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The blacksmith's tent was in the middle of the town square. It was large, with multiple openings in the roof that let out smoke and ash. Damon landed in front of the tent, where Angie and Ivan were already waiting. A hardened, muscular Sestra emerged from the tent as Mora landed. His beard and hair were singed and blackened with soot. His eyes were black, but Mora could see a warm glow to them.

Angie nodded to Mora and pointed at the large Sestra. "This is Dato. He's the Valley's blacksmith. He's going to make you your sword."

Dato didn't say anything. He simply beckoned Mora inside the tent with his finger. Mora followed him with a nervous glance at Ivan. In a regular ceremony, the blank swords were already made and ready to be chosen. Here, Mora assumed Dato would be making the sword on the spot. Many blacksmiths wouldn't make the swords in front of others. Each blacksmith made the swords slightly different. To a practiced eye, you could tell where someone was from just by looking at their sword.

The main room of the tent had a large furnace and piles of ore and melted metal. Dato threw more coal into the furnace and measured Mora's height and arm length. He pulled a large chunk of metal from a barrel and set it on the furnace. The furnace must have been hot, because it wasn't long before the metal was a red-hot liquid. Dato pulled a thick metal container off the floor and set it on the table.

"What's that?" Mora asked hesitantly.  
"It's a mold for the blade," he replied distractedly.

The blacksmith took the container holding the liquid metal , holding it carefully with tongs. He poured it slowly into the mold, not getting a single drop outside the mold. The tongs themselves became cherry red from the heat by the time he was done. He closed the lid of the mold, briefly glanced at Mora, then pulled out two medium-sized blocks of wood. One was a dark brown, the other was lighter.

"Which color do you prefer?" He asked.

Mora pointed to the darker wood. Dato laughed and dropped the lighter block back onto the shelf. He took out a small knife and began carving large portions of the wood out.

"What will that be, exactly?" Mora asked curiously.

"It's going to be the hilt, and I'm going to make the scabbard out of the same material." Dato looked up. "Would you like it to be a one-handed sword, or a two-handed sword?"

"What's the difference?" Mora asked hesitantly.

Dato smiled. "Maybe a hand-and-a-half sword then? So you can choose later."

Mora nodded. Dato laughed again and continued whittling. He was more talkative as he worked. He asked Mora about her home, her family. He asked why she was here. He didn't seem surprised at the answer.

"More and more innocent Sestras are taken each day," he said sadly. He pointed to gold-inlaid chest on a small work table. "Choose a stone out of that chest and bring it to me," He instructed.

Mora did as she was told. The chest was full of swirling grey stones, all identical in size and color. They were round on top, but slightly flattened. A half-covered stone in the chest stood out to Mora, and she grabbed it. There was nothing special about it. It was no different from the rest, but it called to her, so she carried it back to Dato.

"Picked the right one then, did you?" He asked.

"I think so," Mora said shyly.

Dato took the stone and slipped it into the cross-guard of the finished hilt. He wrapped a thin gold wire around the handle and smelted the ends together, so the handle had a thin grip made of gold.

"What keeps the stone from falling out?" Mora asked.

Dato picked up the hilt. The stone was in the center of the cross-guard and visible from both sides. The stone looked locked in place. "This wood is from the Viu tree. The wood lives on, even after the tree is cut down. It has grown around the stone, so the stone is locked in place. It will continue to live until I put it in coals. Then the wood will harden to the likeness of metal."

"Oh, that's cool," Mora said. She looked at the carved hilt. It was hard to imagine that that piece of wood still lived, even after being carved into a shape.

Dato nodded. He picked up the hilt, examining it in the light. A thin beam of sunlight went through the grey stone. The stone shone, and the shattered beam of light gleamed briefly before fading away. Dato looked shocked. He glanced at Mora, then at the stone, then back at Mora.

"Someone up high thinks highly of you, Mora," he said vaguely.

"What do you mean?" Mora asked. But Dato was already shifting through the chest of stones again. He returned and leaned over the hilt. Then he went and grabbed a hammer. Mora saw that there was a stone pressed into the pommel of the hilt. That was normal. Most swords had pommel stones. Dato returned once more and placed a third stone on the table. He brought a hammer down, smashing the stone into small, glittering fragments. He placed the glittering stones along the cross-guard of the sword, pressing them into the wood.

"Now you have a sword that is fit for the One," He said grandly.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know? Angie hasn't told you yet?"

Mora shook her head.

Dato looked around. "All right. Come back here, tonight, at midnight. I'll explain everything."

"Why midnight?"

"So no one else is around to hear."  
Dato carried the finished hilt to the blade, joining the two carefully. Mora smiled as he held to sword out. She wanted to take it, but she wasn't allowed to touch it yet. Dato brought the sword outside to where Angie, Ivan and Damon were waiting. Angie's eyes narrowed when she saw the sword.

"Why does it look like that?" She asked.

"I just had some inspiration, that's all," Dato said dismissively.

"It's so cool," Ivan breathed.

"Just give her the sword so we can get this over with. It's almost Sunset." Angie snapped.

Dato sighed and handed the sword to Mora. Mora turned it over in her hands, testing the balance of the blade before gripping the hilt.

"So what happens now?" She asked.

"Watch," Dato said.

Faint sparkles had begun to trickle from her hand. They pooled into the two stones and the stone fragments, clearing away the grey and leaving them perfectly clear. Light poured out of the blade, lighting up the area. The sunset's dying rays hit the tip of the sword, traveling down like a ripple to the pommel stone. Wherever the light touched, a shimmering dark blue. As the blade thinned at the edges, the color transformed into a lush green.

The metal itself seemed to have a rippling pattern. The stones absorbed the light, and different shades of blue and green began to swirl within the stones. The sun dropped below the horizon, and the last shimmer left the sword. Mora was left standing with her completed sword, its blade two different colors.


End file.
